With the monsoon having settled in, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) is mulling over plans and exploring options to fix a major glitch in the drainage lines in some areas of North Kolkata that is said to have existed from the British era, and for years, has been responsible the for water-logging after every bout of heavy rainfall. The glitch has been attributed to water pipelines running through drainage channels, making the latter channel narrower.

The civic body is presently mulling over plans to fix the “major glitch that has been existing since the British era” said Mr Tarak Singh, member, mayor-in-council (MMIC), drainage department, KMC.

Recently, the heavy rainfall on 8 August had led to water-logging in North Kolkata in places such as Muktaram Babu Street, Central Avenue and a few other areas.

The MMIC said “We had conducted a meeting recently in Borough IV of KMC in North Kolkata where water logging happens after every heavy downpour. The borough chairman and councillors reiterated that water-logging woes in the areas under the borough continue to prevail despite the best efforts to revamp drainage systems in the area. It was then that I ordered a thorough inspection of the drainage systems in the area.”

He added “It was discovered that in several sections of the drainage system in areas like Muktaram Babu Street, Bidhan Sarani crossing, Madan Mohan Burman street, there exists a fundamental glitch which is that water pipelines have been laid alongside the drainage channels, resulting in the narrowing of the drainage channel. The situation worsens with plastic waste getting stuck and making the channel even narrower. There are two-feet diameter water pipelines laid in three-feet drainage channels. The water lines are mostly from Tala tank. This glitch dates back to the British era.”

Mr Singh said “We have called a meeting on 14 August where senior KMC engineers will be present to offer a solution. Every avenue is being explored. If needed, we will also consult IIT Kharagpur for the same. This is a critical work and has to be done with precision.”

Meanwhile, the weather department has predicted that the city will remain partly cloudy for five to six days. A few spells of rain and thunderstorms are likely to occur, said the regional meteorogical office at Alipore.

It was learnt that in the north-east Bay of Bengal and the adjoining east-central Bay of Bengal, there is a cyclonic circulation covering 3.1 km to 5.8 km that is anticipated to form a low pressure around the north-west Bay of Bengal and the adjoining neighbourhood in the next 48 hours and the monsoon trough that has formed in Digha is likely to merge with the low pressure formation, said weather officials.

The city received 0.4 mm of rainfall till 5.30 in the evening. The maximum temperature hovered around 34 degree Celsius while the minimum temperature touched 27 degree Celsius. The maximum humidity recorded was 97 per cent and the minimum, 57 per cent.